Need You Now
by Seiji and Shizuku 4ever
Summary: "I'll tell you what you'll do. You'll go back to sleep and move on, like everyone else. Life happens, Ilana, but we can't let fear of the unknown reign our minds or hinder us from living our lives. That's all anyone can do."  /Ilanca, post Shaman of Fear/


**A/N: Omg! It's mah first Ilanca oneshot! *fangirl scream* This couple is BOSS. ^_^ I love them so much together! It's sooo funny, because when I first started watching Sym-Bionic Titan, I was like, "Dang, Lance is MINE. He's so hot.. any potential love interest can BACK OFF, because I'M CLAIMING HIM!" Then, of course, you know, I had to contradict myself and start loving Lance and Ilana as a couple. They're so perfect! ^.^ Ahem, anywayyy..**

**This oneshot takes place after the episode, Dark Shaman. *loved that eppie* I'm sorry if I'm OOC in any places; I'm still kind of a newbie. Have mercy on me, please! xD Now Lance, as we rehearsed:...wait for it...and GO!**

**Lance: I better be getting paid for this. -_- Taylor does not own Sym-Bionic Titan in any way whatsoever. It's out of her league..**

**That was unnecessary! Dx But I hope you readers like this. I had fun writing it! ^^**

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Fire..

Torture..

Horror..

Ashes..

Father..

Beaten..

_Coming._

Disoriented, Ilana woke up in a cold sweat, her entire body racking in terrified sobs. _A-Another vision? It can't be.. _She tried to slow her rapid-paced breathing, a hand on her pounding heart. It did no good when the awful memories of her nightmare began to surface, tears blurrying her vision.

Suddenly a shadow appeared at her doorway, descending upon her quickly, stealthy footsteps sounding. Ilana stifled a strangled cry and shrank back, prepared to put up a fight if necessary. She squeezed her eyes shut in fear as the shadow leered over her, making the unshed tears stream down her face. One hand lingered on her watch, one step away from pressing it.

Expecting the worst, Ilana was surprised when callused but gentle fingers tentatively wiped the tears away and a deep voice said, "Relax, will you?" Daring to open her eyes, Ilana was overwhelmed with relief to see a concerned, shirtless Lance staring back at her, sitting on her bed.

No monsters. No gruesome vision. Just Lance.

"You ok?" Lance's usual monotone voice was concerned, even a little kind.

Ilana swallowed hard, finding her voice. "I..another vision. Are you sure we defeated-"

"Positive." Lance leaned back and studied her. "It was just a nightmare, Ilana. Normal dream stuff. Who_ wouldn't've _had one after all we've been through today?" He offered a rueful half-smile.

Ilana thought for a moment. "What if.." she started, then hesitated, thinking the it through before she pressed on. "What if what we experienced was _all _just one big nightmare in itself? Or what if we're still having visions? What if they mean something, Lance?" Her pleading eyes begged him for answers.

Lance groaned. "Enough with the what-ifs." He sat closer, frowning in thought. "I don't pretend to know all the answers, Ilana. But your getting paranoid isn't going to help anything."

"Paranoid?" Ilana repeated slowly, as if the word was foreign to her. Which it probably was. "I'm just keeping on my toes and keeping my mind wide open for every possibility, as Father would say." That was enough to open old wounds of worry, regret, and fear. Remembering the dream she'd just awakened from and the added visions of earlier, Ilana buried her face in her hands and took in a shuddering breath, feeling her entire body begin to tremble. She willed the images to flee her mind.

Then she felt strong, muscular arms slide around her and a bare chest against her hands. "Um, there there," Lance murmured awkwardly.

"I..I left him for dead, Lance. I abandoned my own homeland.." Ilana's voice choked, and she hated herself for acting so vulnerable and dramatic in front of her attendant. "W-What kind of princess am I?"

"Stop it." Lance pulled away ever so slightly and pried her hands away from her face. "Ilana, look at me."

Obediently she did so, noticing the way the moonlight streaming from the window enhanced his majestic midnight eyes. His shoulder-length, wavy black hair, tousled with sleep, hung over his eyes. Right now, they were looking straight at her.. into her heart. Her soul.

"You were sent here for your own protection. Your father- he spared you. Trust me, he wouldn't have it any other way." Lance's strong yet soft voice sent pinpricks of an unfamiliar emotion up Ilana's spine.

"You..you think so?" It wasn't much, but this was one of the few times Lance dropped his stoic, bad-boy guard to reveal his tenderhearted character. Sincerity rang clear in his words.

"I _know _so." Lance held her at arms' length, regarding her with soft eyes.

Ilana felt her eyes tearing up again, and she blinked repeatedly to keep them at bay. She felt so _defeated. _The day had been nothing but strain and terror, and it was taking its toll on her. The emotions she'd been trying to hard to conceal, to bury, these months since they'd arrived to Earth were coming at her all at once, overwhelming her. She took a deep breath, attempting to clear her mind. "..Why'd you come in here, anyway?"

Just like that, the moment was broken. Lance released his hold on her and shifted. "You were screaming in your sleep. I just wanted to.. come check on you." In truth, at her fear-filled shrieks he had run at full speed to her room, adrenaline pumping, ready for a fight.

At the beginning of their journey to this foreign planet, Lance had felt a sense of duty to protect her, since he'd been assigned to by the King himself. But now... this feeling came naturally, like he was made to guard her with his life. He cared about her, her wellbeing. He hated to see anything but a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry if I awakened you." Ilana swiped at her damp cheeks, embarrassed.

Lance shrugged, averting his gaze. "You didn't. I was already awake." It was two in the morning. More out of habit than grief woke him up at that time every night now. But they were never far apart.

"So.." In a way to comfort Ilana and to sidetrack his current thoughts more than anything, Lance frowned. "Your dreams...wanna talk about it?"

Ilana was shocked and made no attempt to hide it. The seemingly guarded and emotionless Lance, whom she'd had to practically beg to hear what his visions were about just earlier that day, wanted to discuss her _dream? _"What do you want to know?" she asked tightly.

Lance shrugged again. "Nothing in particular. Just... talking helps sometimes."

"Oh, like you would know," Ilana shot back, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth. He had come in here in the middle of the night to check on her, and in return she lashes out at him?

Lance tensed, stiffening. "I'm always wrong in your eyes, aren't I? No matter what I do, you always find fault with it. I never talk, you're mad. I _try _to talk, you're mad." Gone was his previous compassion and softness. Now anger was left in its wake. "You know what? I don't need this." Lance stood and briskly walked away, toward the door.

Waves of guilt washed over Ilana. Why did she have to ruin everything? "Lance, wait," she called in a broken voice, those two small words revealing how unsettled she was.. and how much she needed him. "I'm sorry." She sounded on the verge of tears.

Lance hated himself for caring so much, for stopping cold in his tracks at her words. _Why do you do this to me, Ilana? _Heaving a sigh, he turned and made his way back to her. "You need to go back to sleep, Ilana."

"But..what if I..." Ilana faltered, but she didn't need to finish. Lance already knew. _Have any more bad dreams? _The unspoken words hovered in the air.

"I'll tell you what you'll do. You'll go back to sleep and move on, like everyone else. Life happens, Ilana, but we can't let fear of the unknown reign our minds or hinder us from living our lives. That's all anyone can do- you just have to make the choice." Lance was used to the hard, suck-it-up-and-move-on type of talk, but his voice softened at the naivety reflected in Ilana's eyes. She was sheltered in so many ways, so innocent. It was his duty to keep it that way. He had to keep her hoping.

Ilana nodded slowly, absorbing his words. The heaviness she registered lightened considerably. "Thanks, Lance," she said with feeling, still a little shaken.

Lance gave a brief nod. After several moments of obvious internal debate, he squeezed her shoulder. "I know what it's like to lose a father," he started, voice strained and plaintive. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm your guy."

Ilana, her doe eyes filled with gratifying emotion, found it impossible to speak around the lump in her throat. She nodded wordlessly, feeling their conversation draw to a close. Oddly enough, she was.. reluctant for him to leave.

Lance nodded back, sensing the same thing. "Well.. good night, Ilana." He started to stand again.

"Wait, Lance."

Surprised, Lance complied and looked back inquiringly.

"Could you.." Ilana was fiddling with the design on her bedspread, avoiding his eyes, "..stay with me until I fall asleep? Please?" She couldn't bear the thought of being alone, with that nightmare still lingering in every thought.

To _her _surprise, Lance nodded, the side of his mouth quirking. His gaze searched for something to sit on until it landed on her snowglobe. "..You still have it," he thought aloud, smiling a little.

"Of course I still have it," Ilana replied in surprise, overhearing. She gave a little smile of her own. "It's..very special to me."

Silence fell for a few moments until Lance stepped closer, his heartfelt smile instantly turning into a smirk. "Time to go to sleep, Princess."

Ilana pulled a playful face at him but obeyed, letting the nickname slide this time. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and rested her head on the pillow, her heavy eyelids closing.

Right before sleep claimed her, Ilana felt Lance's nimble fingers smoothing hair back from her forehead, stroking them. She felt a smile form on her face as warmth blossomed in her chest. As she drifted off, she knew she wouldn't have to worry about having any more nightmares tonight.

Not with Lance there.

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Octus was in for an astounding scene the next morning. One he probably couldn't have deciphered, even with the research database he had programmed inside him.

Science never explained young love.

On his morning rounds, when Octus would first go to Ilana's room to wake her up for school, he would find Lance and Ilana in there together, in each other's arms, united in blissful, dream-free sleep, peaceful and content smiles carved on their faces.

It was enough to blow anybody's mind.

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**A/N: NO sexual intercourse influenced there, you perverts! xDD Just some snuggling. x3 Wasn't that cute? I kinda liked how that turned out. A good first, you know? ^_^**

**All while I was writing this, I was listening to "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift. MAN, I love that song! ^_^ Makes great background music. xDD But I kinda based the title of this off "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum. x3 If the lyrics said, "It's two in the morning and I had a nightmare, and I need you now..", it'd fit better, but oh well! xD Review, pretty please! I'd appreciate some positive feedback! 8D**


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